Text:Why is it said that "people gather with their own kind?" There's a saying. "The
good form groups and the evil run in gangs; people always seek their own kind."
Scholars are friendly with scholars, workers with workers, businessmen with
businessmen, farmers with farmers, and officials with other officials. Buddhists
are friendly with Buddhists, Taoists with Taoists, Christians with Christians,
and Muslims with Muslims. Military personnel consort with military personnel,
bandits with bandits, good citizens with other good citizens, and deviant people
with other deviant people.

Commentary:In China, the religion of Taoism was founded by Lao Zi. Lao Zi was the Patriarch
of Taoism, and he stressed the principles of purity and non-action. Taoists are
friendly with other Taoists. Taoist cultivators associate with other Taoist
cultivators. Christians, the followers of Jesus Christ, make friends with
Christians. All the Christians get together and feel very happy. Muslims make
friends with Muslims.

Muslims are the
followers of Mohammed. (In Chinese, "Moslem" is translated as "the religion of
returning") Where do they want to return to? To their own home. In the
beginning, there was Mohammed, the founder of the religion, who held a sword in
one hand and a piece of incense in the other. His meaning was, "If you believe
in me, quickly light some incense. If you don't believe in me, I'll use my
sword." That's how Islam is. It tells you, "You'd better return quickly! If you
believe in me, then come back to me. If you don't believe in me, then go back to
your own place." That's the principle upon which Mohammed founded the religion.
He said. "I'm the most pure one, and you should acknowledge me as your lord."

It's said that
Muslims do not eat pork. However, they do eat beef and mutton. The reason they
don't eat pork is that they believe their original ancestor was a pig, and so
they don't want to eat their ancestor's flesh. Chinese people, being aware of
this custom, tease the Muslims. There are quite a few Muslims in China. When
they see one, they jokingly say, "Let me invite you our for some pork. I know
Muslims don't eat pork, but don't worry, no one will see you. You can eat some
pork if your on your own." That's how they tease them.

Military
personnel consort with military personnel. This refers to soldiers. Have you
noticed that soldiers are always friends with soldiers? They go to war together,
kill people together, and share the things they plunder together. Bandits are
friends with bandits. People who are not upright hang around other improper
characters, while good citizens associate with other good citizens. This is
what's meant by "people gather with their own kind."

Text:Each person seeks out his own kind, and thus parties and special interest groups
are established. Jealousy develops among members of the same group until they
become enemies who are as compatible as water and fire; that is, they will not
tolerated one another. They start out as good friends, but gradually give rise
to resentment and hatred. After a time they begin to devour one another. The
strong overpower the weak, and many take advantage of the few. There is
authority, but no justice, and thus we reach the present sorry state of affairs.

Commentary:Age-old enmity results in mutual devouring. What's meant by deviant people? They
are those who are opportunistic, who flatter people, or who hope to get
enlightened by taking hallucinogenic drugs. Their thoughts are improper, and
they're always trying to take devious paths. They refuse to take the proper
path. If you ask them to do good deeds, they don't want to. If you tell them to
steal, they are happy to do so. If you tell them to set fire to the building, or
to place a fake bomb, they happily agree to do so. Such people are deviant
people. Deviant people have their own friends; they associate with other deviant
folks. Each person seeks out his own kind, and thus parties and special interest
groups are established. And so people always socialize with their own kind and
become members of the same clique.

Jealousy
develops among members of the same group. Although they belong to the same
clique, after a while, they jealous of one another. Then lots of problems arise.
Deviant people kill their own deviant colleagues. Of course, when good people
are together, there aren't any problems. But if there are two gangs of bandits,
one gang will be jealous of the other, thinking, "How come they get so much
money in their raids, and we get so little? Let's go rob them." They get jealous
of each other until they become enemies. What was originally a friendship turns
into a hostile relationship. And the hatred goes both ways. "If you're hostile
toward us, then we'll be hostile to you." In each others' eyes, they become
enemies who are as compatible as water and fire. The relationship is like that
of fire and water. Fire and water cannot co-exist. That is, they will not
tolerate one another.

You want to
destroy us and we want to wipe you out. They start out as good friends, but
gradually give rise to resentment and hatred. After a time they begin to devour
one another. After this has gone on for a long time, either you devour us, or we
eat you up. There is mutual slaughtering. You try to obliterate us and we try to
destroy you. If you obliterate us, they you gobble us up. If we vanquish you,
then we devour you. The strong overpower the weak. The most powerful one bullies
the weaker ones around and doesn't show them any courtesy. And the many take
advantage of the few. The most powerful group with the most members bullies less
powerful groups. There is authority, but no justice. In this world, the
strongest people have the power and authority, but there is no justice. Where
can you go to find justice?

Nowadays, there
is no justice in international relations, no justice in family matters, and no
justice in interpersonal relationships. And thus we reach the present sorry
state of affairs. Everywhere you look, people are prepared to kill other people.
You fear me, and I fear you. There is a sense of mutual fear. This is a very sad
situation.